A better approach to emering markets.Sun, 12 Nov 2006 23:34:00 GMTdonotreply@osnews.com (Rasmus)CommentsRE[2]: Going with the EFIKAhttp://www.osnews.com/thread?181723
http://www.osnews.com/thread?181723The picture shows an optical SP/DIF output, if I'm not mistaken. Any idea which chipset drives the audio? If it's capable of outputing 44.1kHz without resampling, that could be the perfect basis for that mpd-based music jukebox I've been having wet dreams about...Mon, 13 Nov 2006 10:44:00 GMTdonotreply@osnews.com (jebb)CommentsRE[2]: Going with the EFIKAhttp://www.osnews.com/thread?181727
http://www.osnews.com/thread?181727All that said, the big difference in the approach is that the EFIKA can be assembled into many things and that assembly and fine tuning to the local market is an opportunity the local economy can absorb. The EFIKA will have OS options and can be many different things. Example:

It's basically an enhanced AC97 controller in the SoC, with a Sigmatel STAC 9766 (same as on the Pegasos!) - it has an 18-bit internal mixer, and can play up to 16-bit 48KHz stereo audio through each output (it has plenty, check out the gallery).

By default the S/PDIF outputs the same audio that is on the main line-out channel (at least under ALSA this works), but you can tell it to do LPCM/AC3 passthrough if you push the right data at it.Mon, 13 Nov 2006 12:11:00 GMTdonotreply@osnews.com (matt@genesi-usa.com)CommentsRE[2]: Going with the EFIKAhttp://www.osnews.com/thread?182111
http://www.osnews.com/thread?182111Displaced by ~100 USD AMD Geode based laptop.Tue, 14 Nov 2006 09:27:00 GMTdonotreply@osnews.com (encia)CommentsRE[3]: Going with the EFIKAhttp://www.osnews.com/thread?182114
http://www.osnews.com/thread?182114@R&B

"does not provide enough consideration to the flexibility and scope of application based on local input"

OLPC is a "laptop" i.e. refer any laptop PCs based on Intel Centrino and AMD Turion.Tue, 14 Nov 2006 09:37:00 GMTdonotreply@osnews.com (encia)CommentsRE[2]: Going with the EFIKAhttp://www.osnews.com/thread?182116
http://www.osnews.com/thread?182116One could fleet assemble an AMD K8 Sempron based PC under 250 USD. AMD PIC is not competitive enough against AMD's own Sempron based PC.

Right, that is the point. One size fits all? There is too much _embedded thinking_ in this approach (see http://bbrv.blogspot.com/2006/10/olpc.html ). The whole situation is more complicated and requires more engagement across the spectrum of people involved to insure the effort is successful. OLPC in its current form makes the ultimate objective (isn't it the democratization of ideas, increased communication and educational opportunity, etc.?) more difficult to achieve _for the people that will ultimately achieve it (suggesting here that it won't be OLPC as it is packaged and organized today that is successful) because OLPC distorts the requirements for success. Unfortunately, we have seen this before - http://bbrv.blogspot.com/2005/09/iwantmoreforless.html . Thanks, but no thanks. There is a social movement already working pretty well inspired by a Social Contract and managed through a license and governance model that seems to be doing the trick. Getting wired into that is the key on one end, enabling the flexibility at the point of deployment on the other end is equally important. Making it one size fits all not only restricts the output, but the input as well.